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Angel
Angels, a.k.a. Seraphim,Diablo Manual are spirits of light and sound and the denizens of the High Heavens. Dedicated to the ideals of order, they are the opposite of demons, and have fought against them since the dawn of Creation. Lore Physiology and Capabilities Angels are birthed from the Crystal Arch, though only during moments of perfect harmony in Heaven through a process called the Lightsong. The amount of angels the Lightsong can give birth to is finite—it is a case of them embodying a set amount of Anu's power. If an angel is killed, a replacement angel will be created by the Arch, but such an angel is still a different individual from the one (s)he is replacing. Tyrael is the only known example of an angel reforming as the same individual, said reformation occurring after his destruction at Mount Arreat. The replacement angel is not born instantaneously.2013-12-08, BlizzCon 2013 – Diablo III Lore and Story Q&A Panel Transcript. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2014-04-21 While able to be killed,Storm of Light angels are immortal beings though, and are not made of flesh and blood. Rather, angels are manifestations of light and sound, and soar on wings of light itself.Book of Cain An angel can willingly forsake their immortality and become mortal, and even retain their angelic powers, but such an act does not give an angel access to humanity's latent nephalem abilities.2013-01-02, Archangel and Deathangel classes for diablo 3. IncGamers, accessed on 2013-02-07 Tyrael is the first (and currently, only) angel to have ever undertaken this transformation. The removal of his wings was a vital part of the process, but not the catalyst for it—the removal of an angel's wings does not make that angel mortal by default. When wounded, a substance akin to 'liquid light' has been observed to spill from an angel's wound(s).Diablo III, Act IV Intro CinematicDiablo III: Wrath Angels do not require sleep or food,Book of Tyrael and instead draw their lifeforce from the Crystal Arch.Diablo III, Act V If this connection is severed/corrupted, angels can be incapacitated.Diablo III, Act IV Angels are able to disguise themselves as humans and walk among them.DemonsbaneScales of the Serpent In their natural forms however, angels appear to be faceless, though their heads are humanoid in shape.Diablo III, Act II Intro CinematicDiablo II, The Infernal Gate Intro Cinematic Emotion is sensed from angels by the movement of their wings, which appear as streams of light.Diablo III: Behind the Scenes DVD These streams can be used individually like tendrils, even to bind an angel's foes.Diablo II, The Infernal Gate Intro Cinematic Angels can wield powerful magic. Angels are capable of interbreeding with both demons and nephalem. Indeed, it was such an act that led to the creation of humanity in the first place. They fear humanity for its ability to choose between good and evil, a fear intensified in recent times because of the Nephalem and their bonding with Death. An angel's wings flutter when they are happy.2014-02-02, Heroes of the Storm – Tyrael – Talents. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2014-07-12 Beliefs and Culture Angels are ruled over by the Angiris Council. While the council has lost members over time, and have had these members change aspects, the council, in essence, represents the virtues of Anu, the Creator. These virtues are valor, hope, fate, wisdom, and justice, and at least initially, were represented by the archangels Imperius, Auriel, Itherael, Malthael, and Tyrael respectively. Each angel that is created through the Lightsong is assigned to one of the domains/angelic groups of Heaven that represent one of these five aspects. Unlike demons, who war among themselves, angels seek to exist in harmony among their own kind. In battle, angels adhere to strict militaristic principles, and believe that only strict discipline can properly restore order to the myriad realms.Diablo Manual Angels, and their ideals, can basically be thought of as 'good,' though angels can still take these concepts too far, as demonstrated in the Sin War,The Veiled Prophet and in its aftermath where, with the Great Conflict having reached stalemate, such dedication to order led to stagnation in Heaven. Nor are angels above vice or corruption by the lords of Hell. In the eyes of some, angels are, in their own way, no better than demons.Diablo III, Act III While angels naturally gravitate towards unification, their rigid ideals do not allow them to adapt to changing circumstances easily.Book of Tyrael The existence of humanity is one such example, and angels have displayed different reactions to their existence, even going so far as to advocate their eradication (e.g. Imperius) while others have even turned on their own brethren on humanity's behalf (e.g. Tyrael). Each angel wears armor of some kind, though it is said that this is more for reasons of ornamentation and to provide a sense of individuality than to provide protection. History The Eternal Conflict For aeons, angels and demons waged the Eternal Conflict, as both sides fought for control of the Worldstone, a powerful artifact that could create worlds. However, the archangel Inarius, who grew tired of this war, led a group of like-minded angels and demons with Lilith to steal the Worldstone and create a world of their own to co-exist peacefully and escape from the conflict. Eventually these group of renegade angels and demons would intermingle and gave birth to the nephalem, the forefathers of humanity. In the Worldstone's absence, the Eternal Conflict ground to a halt, as both sides were left without a goal. The Sin War Eventually Heaven and Hell will come to take notice upon Sanctuary, the world Inarius and Lilith created with the Worldstone. The world was populated by humanity, stemming from a coupling of angel and demons. The Heavenly Host was dispatched to 'cleanse' the world, resulting in a three way battle between Heaven, Hell, and the Edyrem. It ended with Uldyssian's sacrifice, which swayed the views of Auriel, Itherael, and Tyrael, voting to spare Sanctuary from destruction and making a pact with Hell that it be left be. Darkness and Light With the pact between Heaven and Hell at the end of the Sin War, the Eternal Conflict ground to a halt. This was broken when Diablo, now a singular Prime Evil, led the combined might of Hell against the Silver City. The Diamond Gates were shattered, Imperius wounded, Auriel captured, and for the first time in history, demons ravaged the city's interior. With Auriel's capture, the angels began giving into despair, but after her rescue by the Nephalem, hope returned, and the angels began fighting back with more fervor. While the city was ravaged and the Crystal Arch nearly corrupted, Diablo was nonetheless defeated.Diablo III, Act IV Intro CinematicDiablo III, Act IV Yet even after this, corruption remained, thanks to the Black Soulstone. A darkness began to creep upon Heaven, unnoticed to all bar Tyrael. A Corrupted Angel was even born from the Arch. However, with the aid of the Horadrim, the Black Soulstone was retrieved and the corruption lifted. The Reapers With the Reaper assault on Sanctuary, the various factions of Heaven reacted differently.2013-12-08, BlizzCon 2013 – Diablo III Lore and Story Q&A Panel Transcript. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2014-03-26 However, Heaven was drawn into the conflict when the Reapers assaulted the Pandemonium Gate in order to prevent the Nephalem from pursuing Malthael into the Pandemonium Fortress. Many angels were more disturbed at Malthael's betrayal itself (as he was the eldest member of the Angiris Council) than his genocidal actions against humanity on Sanctuary.2014-05-19, More Info From The Anniversary Dev Stream. Diablo Fans.com, accessed on 2014-05-20 The Nephalem defeated Malthael with the aid of Imperius.Diablo III, Act V Tyrael commented that the defeat of the Angel of Death had redeemed angelkind.Diablo III, Act V Ending Cinematic However, the Nephalem's bonding with the forces of death intensified angelic fears about their power and potential to turn to evil. In-game For most of the ''Diablo'' series, angels have not appeared as enemies. They are traditionally associated with the Mana orb in the user interface. Diablo II In Diablo II, Izual marks the first instance of an angelic enemy, albeit corrupted. Tyrael marks the first appearance of an angel NPC as well. Diablo III In Diablo III, Corrupted Angels appear as a standard monster-type in . Various Reaper angels also become standard enemies in . The only non-corrupted, non-Reaper angels players can fight are Erelus, his minions, and Haziael, all driven mad by an eternity spent in Pandemonium. Players encounter angelic warriors (as allies) in and . In addition, the Skycutter sword summons an angelic assistance. Trivia ]] *Angels are figures from various real-world mythologies, known for (among other things) their feathered wings. Artwork for the ''Diablo series regularly depicts angels with this wing style, though in-game, they have been depicted with the light/tentacle-styled wings. *Wording of the manual of the original game indicates that "seraphim" is a synonym for "angel" in the context of the series. However, a skin for Tyrael in Heroes of the Storm indicates that seraphs are separate from angels, both in terms of standing and physiology2014-03-28, TYRAEL HERO SPOTLIGHT. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2014-04-06 (name and appearance of Vengeful Seraph Reapers may partially confirm this). In real-world mythologies, seraphs are distinguished from other angels. *It is possible that angels have distinct facial features (e.g. a nose), as such things are seen during Tyrael's transformation. However, it is unclear as to whether this is an angelic trait, or human traits that Tyrael was taking on as per his becoming a mortal. References to angels possessing hair have also been made.Diablo III, Angel Hair Braid In Heroes of the Storm, Tyrael asserts that he does not have a face. *Some Reaper angels, including Urzael, appear to have a pale, but tangible skin, while others (including Death Maidens) are composed of light and are transparent. References Category:Angels Category:Races